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2010
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Survive is a cutthroat game where players seek to evacuate their pieces from an island that is breaking up, while remembering where their highest-valued pieces are located to maximize their score.

An island made up of 40 hex-tiles is slowly sinking into the ocean (as the tiles are removed from the board). Each player controls ten people (valued from 1 to 6) that they try and move towards the safety of the surrounding islands before the main island finally blows up. Players can either swim or use boats to travel but must avoid sea serpents, whales and sharks on their way to safety.

Survive is very similar to Escape from Atlantis with some key differences.

Survive was reprinted as "Survive: Escape from Atlantis!" by publisher Stronghold Games and hit store shelves in February, 2011. The reprint contains the game Survive, as well as all the extra pieces needed in order to play the game as "Escape from Atlantis" and is actually found here: Survive: Escape from Atlantis! because it came with the dolphins and dive dice which were removed from the anniversary edition which was released a couple of years later (though they were later made available by themselves for owners of that version).

"Survive: Escape from Atlantis!" is game #2 in the Stronghold Games "Survive Line".

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Year Published: 1982
Designers: Julian Courtland-Smith
Publishers: Parker Brothers
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Year Published: 1985
Designers: Robert Abbott
Publishers: Chieftain Products
Year Published: 2009
Designers: Travis Worthington
Publishers: Indie Boards & Cards
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Roberto Di Meglio
Publishers: Nexus Editrice
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Jakob Bonds
Publishers: Fantasy Flight Games
2010
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Do you have what it takes to be a deep space colonist? An alien frontier awaits the brave and daring! This new planet will be harsh, but if you have the skills to manage your resources, build a fleet, research alien life, and settle colonies, the world can be yours.

Alien Frontiers is a game of resource management and planetary development for two to four players. During the game you will utilize orbital facilities and alien technology to build colony domes in strategic locations to control the newly discovered world.

The game board shows the planet, its moon, the stations in orbit around the planet, and the solar system’s star. The dice you are given at the start of the game represent the space ships in your fleet. You will assign these ships to the orbital facilities in order to earn resources, expand your fleet, and colonize the planet.

As the game progresses, you will place your colony tokens on the planet to represent the amount of control you have over each territory. Those territories exert influence over specific orbital facilities and, if you control a territory, you are able to utilize that sway to your advantage.

The planet was once the home of an alien race and they left behind a wondrous artifact in orbit. Using your fleet to explore the artifact, you will discover amazing alien technologies that you can use to advance your cause.

Winning the game will require careful consideration as you assign your fleet, integrate the alien technology and territory influences into your expansion plans, and block your opponents from building colonies of their own. Do you have what it takes to conquer an alien frontier?

Roll and place your dice to gain advantages over your opponent and block them out of useful areas of the board. Use Alien Tech cards to manipulate your dice rolls and territory bonuses to break the rules. Steal resources, overtake territories, and do whatever it takes to get your colonies on the map first! Don't dream it'll be easy, though, because the other players will be trying to do the same thing.

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Year Published: 2010
Designers: Tory Niemann
Publishers: Clever Mojo Games
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Year Published: 2010
Designers: Kasper Aagaard
Publishers: Z-Man Games
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Ryan Amos
Publishers: Elzra Corp. (Elzra)
Year Published: 2010
Designers: James Eastham
Publishers: Eagle-Gryphon Games
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Tim Fowers
Publishers: Fowers Games
2010
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Forbidden Island is a visually stunning cooperative board game. Instead of winning by competing with other players like most games, everyone must work together to win the game. Players take turns moving their pawns around the 'island', which is built by arranging the many beautifully screen-printed tiles before play begins. As the game progresses, more and more island tiles sink, becoming unavailable, and the pace increases. Players use strategies to keep the island from sinking, while trying to collect treasures and items. As the water level rises, it gets more difficult- sacrifices must be made.

What causes this game to truly stand out among co-op and competitive games alike is the extreme detail that has been paid to the physical components of the game. It comes in a sturdy and organized tin of good shelf storage size. The plastic treasure pieces and wooden pawns are well crafted and they fit just right into the box. The cards are durable, well printed, and easy to understand. The island tiles are the real gem: they are screen-printed with vibrant colors, each with a unique and pleasing image.

With multiple levels of difficulty, different characters to choose from (each with a special ability of their own), many optional island formats and game variations available, Forbidden Island has huge replay value. The game can be played by as few as two players and up to four (though it can accommodate five). More players translates into a faster and more difficult game, though the extra help can make all the difference. This is a fun game, tricky for players of almost any age. Selling for under twenty dollars, oddly, Forbidden Island is a rare game of both quality and affordable price.
For those who enjoy Forbidden Island, a follow-up project by Gamewright titled Forbidden Desert was released in 2013.

From the publisher's website:

Dare to discover Forbidden Island! Join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to capture four sacred treasures from the ruins of this perilous paradise. Your team will have to work together and make some pulse-pounding maneuvers, as the island will sink beneath every step! Race to collect the treasures and make a triumphant escape before you are swallowed into the watery abyss!

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Year Published: 2010
Designers: Matt Leacock
Publishers: Gamewright
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Year Published: 2010
Designers: Steve Jackson (I)
Publishers: Steve Jackson Games
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Fréderic Moyersoen
Publishers: Mayfair Games
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Dominic Crapuchettes
Publishers: Egmont Polska
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Tim Fowers
Publishers: Fowers Games
2010
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You are the leader of one of the 7 great cities of the Ancient World. Gather resources, develop commercial routes, and affirm your military supremacy. Build your city and erect an architectural wonder which will transcend future times.

7 Wonders lasts three ages. In each age, players receive seven cards from a particular deck, choose one of those cards, then pass the remainder to an adjacent player. Players reveal their cards simultaneously, paying resources if needed or collecting resources or interacting with other players in various ways. (Players have individual boards with special powers on which to organize their cards, and the boards are double-sided). Each player then chooses another card from the deck they were passed, and the process repeats until players have six cards in play from that age. After three ages, the game ends.

In essence, 7 Wonders is a card development game. Some cards have immediate effects, while others provide bonuses or upgrades later in the game. Some cards provide discounts on future purchases. Some provide military strength to overpower your neighbors and others give nothing but victory points. Each card is played immediately after being drafted, so you'll know which cards your neighbor is receiving and how her choices might affect what you've already built up. Cards are passed left-right-left over the three ages, so you need to keep an eye on the neighbors in both directions.

Though the box of earlier editions is listed as being for 3–7 players, there is an official 2-player variant included in the instructions.

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Year Published: 2010
Designers: Antoine Bauza
Publishers: Repos Production
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Year Published: 2010
Designers: Chad Jensen
Publishers: GMT Games
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Kasper Aagaard
Publishers: Z-Man Games
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Tory Niemann
Publishers: Clever Mojo Games
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Wolfgang Panning
Publishers: Queen Games
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In this show, we talk about Video Game High School, But Wait, There’s More!, DnD Dice Masters, King of New York with The Child, Caveman Curling, and Pirate Pete.  We also answer questions, and then end the show with our top ten favorite pick-up-and-delivery games.

In this show, we talk about Video Game High School, But Wait, There’s More!, DnD Dice Masters, King of New York with The Child, Caveman Curling, and Pirate Pete. We also answer questions, and then end the show with our top ten favorite pick-up-and-delivery games.

2011
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Best Digital Board Game of 2011
Ascension: Deckbuilding Game — originally released as Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer — is a fast-paced deck-building game designed by Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour champions Justin Gary, Rob Dougherty, and Brian Kibler, with artwork by Eric Sabee.

Ascension is a deck-building game in which players spend Runes to acquire more powerful cards for their deck. It offers a dynamic play experience where players have to react and adjust their strategy accordingly. Each player starts with a small deck of cards, and uses those cards to acquire more and better cards for their deck, with the goal of earning the most Honor Points by gaining cards and defeating monsters.

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Year Published: 2010
Designers: John Fiorillo
Publishers: Stone Blade Entertainment
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Best Digital Board Game Nominee 2011
Year Published: 2004
Designers: Alan R. Moon
Publishers: Days of Wonder
Year Published: 2008
Designers: Antoine Bauza
Publishers: Repos Production
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Matt Leacock
Publishers: Gamewright
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Richard Launius
Publishers: Fantasy Flight Games
Year Published: 2004
Designers: Alan R. Moon
Publishers: Days of Wonder
2011
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Best Game Theme of 2011
The call comes in... "911, what is your emergency?" On the other end is a panicked response of "FIRE!" Moments later you don the protective suits that will keep you alive, gather your equipment and rush to the scene of a blazing inferno. The team has only seconds to assess the situation and devise a plan of attack – then you spring into action like the trained professionals that you are. You must face your fears, never give up, and above all else work as a team because the fire is raging, the building is threatening to collapse, and lives are in danger.

You must succeed. You are the brave men and women of fire rescue; people are depending on you. This is what you do every day.

Flash Point: Fire Rescue is a cooperative game of fire rescue.

There are two versions of game play in Flash Point, a basic game and expert game.
In both variants, players are attempting to rescue 7 of 10 victims from a raging building fire.
As the players attempt to rescue the victims, the fire spreads to other parts of the building, causing structural damage and possibly blocking off pathways through the building. Each turn a player may spend action points to try to extinguish fires, move through the building, move victims out of the building or perform various special actions such as moving emergency vehicles. If 4 victims perish in the blaze or the building collapses from taking too much structural damage, the players lose. Otherwise, the players win instantly when they rescue a 7th victim.

The expert variant included in the game adds thematic elements such as flash over, combustible materials, random setup, and variations on game difficulty from novice to heroic. The game includes a double sided board with two different building plans and several expansion maps are available.

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Year Published: 2011
Designers: Kevin Lanzing
Publishers: Indie Boards & Cards
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Best Game Theme Nominee of 2011
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Vladimír Suchý
Publishers: Czech Games Edition
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Antoine Bauza
Publishers: Bombyx
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Cédric Lefebvre
Publishers: Ludonaute
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Vlaada Chvátil
Publishers: Czech Games Edition
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Vladimír Suchý
Publishers: Czech Games Edition
2011
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Best War Game of 2011
A Few Acres of Snow is a two-player, deck-building game about the French and British conflict in North America.

The card-play contains a focus on a deck-building mechanic similar to Dominion, each card will have multiple uses like card-driven game. The players have to choose only one aspect of the card to use when it is played. Each space captured by a player will add another card to the capturing player's deck.

From the box description:

A war fought at the edge of two mighty empires. For over one hundred and fifty years Britain and France were locked in a struggle for domination of North America. Thousands of miles from their homes, settlers and soldiers were faced with impenetrable forests, unpredictable American tribes, and formidable distances. Despite these obstacles they were able to engage in bitter warfare, with the British ultimately taking the prize of Quebec. A Few Acres of Snow is a two-player game that allows you to recreate this contest. You can change the course of history by your decisions.

A Few Acres of Snow takes an innovative approach to the subject, using cards to represent locations and manpower. As the game progresses you add to your selection of cards, increasing the range of actions available to you. There are many strategies to be explored. How quickly should you build up your forces, do you employ Native Americans, what energy should be expended on your economy?

The game is about more than just fighting – you must successfully colonize the land to have a chance.

Online Play

Yucata (turn-based)


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Year Published: 2011
Designers: Martin Wallace
Publishers: Treefrog Games
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Best War Game Nominee of 2011
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Matt Calkins
Publishers: GMT Games
Year Published: 2010
Designers: Grant Dalgliesh
Publishers: Banana Games
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Jim Krohn
Publishers: Worthington Games
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Jeff Billings
Publishers: Lost Battalion Games
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Matt Calkins
Publishers: GMT Games
2011
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Best Game Artwork of 2011
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a cooperative adventure game in which the players attempt to complete a scenario, each with up to three heroes of their choice and a deck of allies, events and attachments to support them. Each round, players send their heroes and allies to quest or to fight with enemies that engage them. However, as the heroes and allies exhaust after questing, defending, or attacking, the players' options are typically insufficient to deal with everything at once. Therefore, players need to determine whether it is more urgent to quest and make progress in the scenario while the enemy forces gain power, or to take down enemies while making no progress, not knowing what will come next.

The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is the base game of a Living Card Game for which new adventure packs are released monthly. The base game contains three scenarios, twelve famous characters from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien (including Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Denethor and Eowyn), and four pre-constructed player decks. Players can either use one of these decks or construct their own deck to increase their chances to be successful in the more challenging scenarios. The monthly adventure packs contain a new scenario, a new hero, and new player cards to be used in their deck. The base game is for 1-2 players, but with an additional base game the scenarios can be played with up to four players.

Although this game is set in Tolkien's Middle Earth, typical scenarios do not represent scenes from the books, but rather take place in the seventeen years from Bilbo's 111th birthday until Frodo's departure from the Shire.

The scenarios from saga-expansions do represent scenes from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit books. These saga-quests can optionally be played together as a Campaign Mode, with lasting consequences arising from the players' actions and decisions.

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Year Published: 2011
Designers: Nate French
Publishers: Fantasy Flight Games
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Best Game Artwork Nominee of 2011
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Corey Konieczka
Publishers: Fantasy Flight Games
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Kevin Lanzing
Publishers: Indie Boards & Cards
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Jean-Louis Roubira
Publishers: Libellud
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Christian T. Petersen
Publishers: Fantasy Flight Games
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Corey Konieczka
Publishers: Fantasy Flight Games
2011
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Most Innovative Game Winner of 2011
This description is spoiler free, containing nothing outside the initial rulebook for the game. Details on why this is important in the description.

Risk Legacy represents what is if not a new, at least a rare concept to boardgaming: campaigning. At its core, the game, particularly at first, plays much like regular Risk with a few changes. Players control countries or regions on a map of the world, and through simple combat (with players rolling dice to determine who loses units in each battle) they try to eliminate all opponents from the game board or control a certain number of "red stars", otherwise known as victory points (VPs).

What's different is that Risk Legacy' changes over time based on the outcome of each game and the various choices made by players. In each game, players choose one of five factions; each faction has uniquely shaped pieces, and more importantly, different rules. At the start of the first game, each of these factions gains the ability to break one minor rule, such as the ability to move troops at any time during your turn, as opposed to only at the end.

What makes this game unique is that when powers are chosen, players must choose one of their faction's two powers, affix that power's sticker to their faction card, then destroy the card that has the other rule on it – and by destroy, the rules mean what they say: "If a card is DESTROYED, it is removed from the game permanently. Rip it up. Throw it in the trash." This key concept permeates through the game. Some things you do in a game will affect it temporarily, while others will affect it permanently. These changes may include boosting the resources of a country (for recruiting troops in lieu of the older "match three symbols" style of recruiting), adding bonuses or penalties to defending die rolls to countries, or adding permanent continent troop bonuses that may affect all players.

The rule book itself is also designed to change as the game continues, with blocks of blank space on the pages to allow for rules additions or changes. Entire sections of rules will not take effect until later in the game. The game box contains different sealed packages and compartments, each with a written condition for opening. The rule book indicates that these contain the rule additions, additional faction powers, and other things that should not be discussed here for spoiler protection.

The winner of each of the first 15 games receives a "major bonus," such as founding a major city (which only he will be allowed to start on in future games), deleting a permanent modifier from the board, destroying a country card (preventing it from providing any resources towards purchasing troops in future games), changing a continent troop bonus, or naming a continent, which gives that player a troop bonus in future games. Players who did not win but were not eliminated are allowed to make minor changes to the world, such as founding a minor city or adding resources to a country.

It should be noted that although cards are ripped up over the course of the game, there are so many cards added via the sealed packages, that the game does not suffer. Nor is this a "disposable" game, merely a customized one. The game can continue to change beyond the 15 game campaign, and even when it finally does stop changing, you still have a copy of Risk that is completely unique.

Initial games take approximately 30-90 minutes to play, which includes a brief rules explanation and setup.

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Year Published: 2011
Designers: Rob Daviau
Publishers: Hasbro
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Most Innovative Game Nominee of 2011
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Brian Engelstein
Publishers: Z-Man Games
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Ian Cooper (I)
Publishers: Z-Man Games
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Mike Elliott
Publishers: WizKids
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Tony Boydell
Publishers: Surprised Stare Games Ltd
Year Published: 2011
Designers: Brian Engelstein
Publishers: Z-Man Games
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